Internal-combustion engine.



L. ILLMER; JR. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLIOATION FILED APR.6, 1908.

v Patented Apr. 1, 1913.

. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ATTOBNEL L. ILLMER, JR. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

' APPLIGATION FILED APB..6, 1908.

i Patented Apr. 1, 1913.

Arronwsy L. ILLMEE, JR. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED APILB, 1908.

Patented Apr. 1, 1913.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

A TTO RNE Y8 QINVENTOR L. ILLMER, JR. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE. I IAPPLIGATIOIT FILED APILG, 1908 Patented APR-1, 1913.

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LOUIS ILLMER, JR., OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSTGNOR TO ILLMER GAS ENGINE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 1, this.

Application filed April 6, 1908. Serial No. 425,571.

To all u /wmit may concern Be it known that I, LOUIS ILLMER, Jr., of

Cincinnati, county of Hamilton, State of My present invention relates tocertain' improvements in the valve and cylinder head on the other.

construction especially, applicable to internal combustion engines of the double acting will be fully set forth hereinafter and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Reference is had to the accompanying,

drawings which illustrate a specific disclosure of my present invention in wl11ch- Figure 1 1s a side elevation of the engine with the valve gear eccentric removed. Fig.

2 is'a vertical longitudinal section thereof. Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section of the crank end of the engine extending from the exhaust ports on one end to the cross head Fig. 4 is a horizontal section of the cylinder head, inlet valve and housing (.11 a scale still further enlarged. Fig. 5 is an enlarged horizontal half section showing a modification in the cylinder head arrangement. Fig. 6 is an enlarged section of the spark plug showing the manner of mounting it in the cylinder head and jacket.

The general outline of the engine may be seen from Figs. '1, 2 and 3. The reference numeral 21 represents the liners for a double acting power cylinder having a combustion chamber at each end. The liners 21 are made in two sections and are fitted into the cylinder body from each of its ends. Said liners have unclulatcry inner edges spaced from each other to form the exhaust port 50. This port is intermediate the cylinder bore ends, and is adapted to be overrun by the double acting piston 26 in the customary manner of two stroke cycle engines. in annular exhaust chamber 88 is formed around the middle portion of the cylinder body, which chamber discharges through the ex haustpipe 89 at the base of the engine. Cast integral with the exhaust chamber walls are the cylinder jackets 20 mounted to each side of the exhaust chamber 88. The concentric jacket walls 20 surround and are spaced from their respective cylinder liners 21 to constitute an annular jacket chamber for the circulation of the cylinder cooling fluid. The outermost ends of the jacket walls 20 have externally disposed head and crank end flanges rigidly tied respectively to the cylindric housing of the engine frame 2st and the corresponding part of the tail piediZ-S, The cylinder jacket walls 20 also have inwardly projecting flanges 55 which are set back from the outermost ends of he said jacket walls and' engage with the respective end flanges 51 of the cylinder liner sections. These liners may be replaced withgutd necessitating the removal of the cylinder As is best shown in Fig. 3, each end of the power cylinder carries an attached cylinder head 53, in each of which is formed the combustion chamber of the engine. These heads are fastened to the respective internal jacket flanges The cylinder jacket walls 20 inclose and extend beyond the internal flanges so as to form a recess at each end of the cylinder adapted to receive the cylinder heads. The said extended portion of jacket wall 20 is provided with the externally disposed flange previously referred to.

It is pointed out that the internally disposed flange instead of being made integral with the jacket wall 20 may also be cast in 'one piece with the cylinder liner 21 and when securely fastened in place answers the same purpose as the construction illustrated. The cylinder parts when once alined and bolted to the frame 24'. are intended to keep their position permanently but the other elements making up the cylinder head parts are so arranged and mounted that they may readily be dismantled.

The piston 26 is of the water cooled double acting two stroke cycle type. According to the design illustrated, the two part piston rod 28 extends through both ends of the power cylinder, its rear end being supported by a rear erosshead 29 running on the guide and its front or crank end being attached to the main crosshead 30 running on 'the guide 2% forming part of. the frame 2%."

The connecting rod 31 is articulated to the main crosshead and to the side crank disk 32 mounted on the crank shaft 33.

At each end of the cylinder, an'annular inlet valve is arranged which commands the inlet port into the combustion chamber of the engine, These valvesiare Inade'to surlOt round the piston rod and adapted to discharge the incoming motive fluid in alinement with the cylinder axis. The valves are furthermore arranged to coact with the surrounding head wall to produce rapid spreading of the working charge as it discharges into the power cylinder. These valves are actuated in synchronism with the piston movements by means of the double toggle reduction gear shown in Fig. 1 comprising a wrist plate 116 which is intended to be reciprocated by an eccentric mounted on thecrank shaft 33.

The motive fluid for operating the engine is intended to be discharged into the conduit 1-H by any suitable means.

As it is best shown in Fig. 3, the cylinder head consists of a gyrate inner head wall 53 encircling the piston rod and positioned in line with the longitudinal axis of the cylinder. The free or outward end of said wall has a central opening which constitutes the motive fluid inlet port to the power cylinder. The head wall illustrated is essentially of a gyrate formation and is fiared outward from the inlet port to the bore diameter of the cylinder. The large diameter of the said wall is provided with a flat "annular inner face or flange 54lwhich is' made to bear snugly against the internally disposed cylinder jacket flange 55. The outer or free end-of the head wall is likewise provided with a flat face or flange which has an annular slot 56 therein covered by afiange 57 on the valve housing 58. Surrounding the wall 53 and extending between its described end flanges. is a head jacket wall which forms a continuous concentric annular space about the head wall for the circulation of the cooling fluid. It will be seen that the cooling chamber entirely separates the head wall from its jacket wall and that they are tied only at their inner ends by the flange 54:, leaving the outer end portions of the head 'all free to expand independently of the jacket wall. The head wall 53 together with the head jacket wall and said housing flange 57, are held in place by a plurality of long stud bolts 59 spaced more or less evenly around the cylinder axis. These studs are fastened into the internal cylinder flange 55 and pats through both the jacket chamber of the cylinder head and the annular slot 56 thereof and the studnuts engage with the flange 57 to draw all of said parts into place.

Thecomhus'tion cham er is formed within the cylinder head 53. ts gyrate wall is exceedingly strong and is partlcularly adapted to withstand the rapidly repeated strains resulting from the high temperature and pressure of explosion of the working charge. Furthermore the simple separate castings that make up the cylinder head parts eliminate casting stresses and avoid waste due to defective castings. The head wall may readily be cast in one piece with its surrounding head jacket wall and the working strains in the former estimated with a considerable degree 'of certainty, thus insuring lightness of construction and the most effective cooling of these vital parts.

The annular slot 56 in the outer end of the head 53 together with the long stud provide a novel means for taking up the ex pansion movements of the head wall. The inner ends of both of these walls are made to butt against the internal cylinder flange 55, while the outer ends of both of these walls are separated by the annular slot 56 to permit of longitudinal expansion of the head wall with respect to its jacket wall. "he only lateral openings entering the cylinder head are used for the igniter plug and starting valve but these are yieldingly mounted to provide for the unobstructed expansion of the head wall as will hereinafter appear.

The heating of the head wall causes a heavy thrust to be exerted against the flange 57 of the valve housing, which in turn-causes the long stud bolts to be stretched. The stud bolts 59 are made sufficiently long so that the resulting stress will not cause rupture of these bolts. By this means the expansive stress in the head wall is to a large extent rclieved and instead is thrown into the steel stud bolts 59 where it is takenup without destructive effects. The expansion is not however suflicient to cause water leakage between the packed flange 57 and the outer end of the head jacket wall.

The water for cooling the cylinder head enters the jacket chamber at the bottom through the pipe 60 and is taken off at the top of the head by the pipe 61 which discharges into the jacket chamber of the cylinder.

Fig. 5 illustrates a modification in the cylinder head construction, where the head 83 has an annular slot 84 therein corresponding to the slot 56 of Fig. 3, and through which thestud bolts 59 pass. Instead of engaging the flange 5"Cjof the separately cast housing 58, the boltshgage a ring 8 5 which covers the slot 84 and the valve housing is formed integral with the cylinder head parts. The ring 85 allows of the before described freedom of expansion movement of the head wall with respect to its surrounding jacket wall and thus the describedadvantages of the long bolts 59 are retained.

The valve housing 58 consists of an outer tubular Wall or part which surrounds the cylinder axis and is provided at its attached end with a-fiange 57, closing the annular slot 56 as herein before explained. The outermost end of said tubular housing wall is turned inwardly and forms an interior flange carrying stu s 79 for securing it to the rod sleeve flange 72. The central opening through the valve housing is held concentric with the like opening into the cylinder head. Fitted l The drawings show the tubular valve into the cylinder head opening and located within the valve housing is a seat bushing 63 which has a plurality of ports 64 around its periphery allowing the movement of the air and gas supplies. Such supplies are fed through the lateral opening 147 into the annular distributing chamber formed between the seat bushing and the valve housing wall 58, whence it passes through the ports 64 and is discharged to all parts of the open inlet valve 65. The inner end of the seat bushing is recessed to form a small ground shoulder which is made to bear against a corresponding offset in the outer end of the head wall 513. The outer end of the seat bushing is centered in the internal flange of the valve housing 58. The innermost end of the seat bushing (33 is beveled to form a ground seat for the annular puppet valve 6i which surrounds the piston rod and commands the inlet port opening directly into the combustion chamber. Referring particularl to Fig. 4:, it will be seen that the said valize has a tubular stem 66 made integral with the head part 65, which stem also surrounds the piston rod. The valve is ma e to move in line with the cylinder axis and is slidably mounted between the seat sleeve 67. t v

The end of the tubular valve stem opposite the valve head 65 is flanged and engages with a set of push rods 81, each of which is guided in a bushed lug 82 formed in the fdd sleeve 67. The push rods are of a sufiicient length to extend outside of the rod sleeve flange 72 and are in operative connection with the double valve rocker 127' mounted on the rock shaft 119. This rock shaft is carried by the housing parts of the frame 24 and extend laterally across the power cylinder axis. The shaft 119 receives a suitable rocking motion from the valve gear hereinbefore referred to and thus imparts therequired movement to the inlet valve 65.

The rod sleeve 67 is made tubular so as to allow the piston rod to pass through it. The sleeve is encircled by the valve stem 66 and thus acts as a plug between said stem and the piston rod. The said sleeve holds the valve stem spaced from the piston rod and prevents the valve from being directly affected by the piston rod movements through the valve stem center. The element of the valve sleeve therefore constitutes an important feature'of the present invention. It not only allows of compact construction, but the seating of the valve is not disturbed by springing or lack of alinement of the piston rod. The inner end portion of the rod'sleeve 67 is not in actual contact with the piston rod but it is made sufliciently strong and stiff to carry the piston rod in caseof excess wear of the rod supporting parts.

bushing 63, and the rod stem 66 supported by and slidabiy mounted upon the concentric rod sleeve 67. If preferred the valve may be centered and made to slide on the inside diameter of the seat bushing 63, in which case it is desirable to provide a small amount of clearance between the' valve stem 66 and the'rod sleeve 67. The-free end of the rod sleeve is provided with-a bushing 73 which is pressed into the recessed portion of the rod sleeve to form a water chamber 74 for the cooling of these parts. The valve and its stem are also cooled by the motive'fluid as it intermittently passes over the same.

Suit-able packing 7 7 is carried by the rod sleeve parts and packs the piston rod against the explosion pressure. and centered in the rod sleeve 67 by the segmental packing 7 8 and the rod gland 80.

Suitable packing rings 68 are carried by the rod sleeve and bear against the inner surface of the tubular valve stem 66. This inner surface is lubricated through an oil hole 69 (see Fig. 3) formed in the rod sleeve which connects with a small pipe 70 and is in turn fed by a second oil hole 71 in the flange 72. Similar connections may also be used to feed the water to the cooling chamber 74. I

The use of a tail rod as shown extending through the head end rod sleeve is not essential and if preferred the tail rod may be dispensed with and a suitable plug inserted to close the opening left through the center of said rod sleeve.

The rod sleeve is provided with an externally disposed flange 72 which is detachably fastened to the valve housing 58 by the studs 79. Said sleeve flange 72 also bears against the outermost end of the seat bushing 63 and holds its ground face or shoulder firmly against the corresponding shoulder formed in the cylinder head wall. A soft metallic gasket 76 may be inserted bet ween the seat bushing and the rod sleeve flange.

In case the seat bushing 63 should become unduly heated with respect to the surrounding valve housing wall 58, any perceptible movement of the outer end of the seat bushing would put the housing wall in tension. Such stress would be transmitted to the long cylinder head studbolts 59 and thus afford relief of the seat bushing by stretching of the bolts. It will be seen thereforethat important functions reside in the described construction and arrangement of the head parts. The entire head and housing structure is yieldingly tied together and endowed with a certain amount of elasticity throughout which feature in a large measure offers relief for the expansion stresses that may be expected in the head and parts.

Fig. 6 shows the detail of the spark plug,

valve housing The rod is guided its in which fragments of the gyrate head wall and its jacket wall are shown, and these it will be seen, are formed with bossed openings 95 and 96 respectively. Fragments of the surrounding cylinder jacket wall 20, are also shown having an opening 97 therein to permit the removal of the igniter plug from the cylinder head. The openings 95, 96 and are in alinement. The igniter plug 105 is mounted .iyithin a tubular casing 98, one end of which is fastened in the opening 95 and is provided with a shoulder 99 hearing against the ground seat 100 on the gyrate head wall The casing 98 passes between the cylinder head studs 59 and is screwed into a round nut 101 having a flanged portion 102 which is fitted into the opening 96 of the head jacket wall. A packing gasket 104: is set between the nut flange 102 and the head jacket flange 103 forming a water tight chambered connection between the LVQ walls of the cylinder head. The casing is adapted to receive the detachable igniter plug 10:} which has a flange 107 held against the internal casing shoulder 106 by the studs 10S and closes the opening through the casing. The casing 98 and the nut 101 each have a small amount of lateral clearance in the opening 96 and are thus yieldingly mounted to permit of the unobstructed expansion and contraction inbvements oi" the head'wall with respect to its jacket wall hereinhefore de cribed. It will be apparent that the ign-iter plug may be removed at will troml 'the casing-through the cylinder aeket (ripening 9T while the cylinder head is in pllr icef Ii similar casing connection may also be used for mounting the starting valve in the cylinder head.

An important feature of the constructions described lies in their accessibility and in the comparative ease withhwl-iich the various parts of the cylinder head and the valve parts may be dismantled for repair or inspection or" the interior of the power cylinder. in case it is desired to get at the inlet valve, the nuts of the studs 7 9 need only be detached and the seat bushing together with the inlet y alve 65 and the rod sleeve 67 may be takeniiut bodily from the val e housing, these parts thus collectively acting as a valve breech. In order to inspect the yalve seat, the main crosshead 30 may be thrown on its crank end dead center and the valve breech slipped out on the piston rod toward the crosshead. move the valve breech, the piston rod may be detached from the crossaead $30. which has a hub 4-5 into which is fitted an internally threaded nut 49. (See Fig. 3.)' The end of the piston rod 28 llH a split collar 17 tittedinto a groove in the rod. The nut 49 engages with the split collar and thrusts the end of the piston rod against the block 48, thus firmly securing the piston rod to In case it is necessary to re;

ilomteee the crosshead. This connection may be broken at will and by placing the piston on the head end dead center and the crosshead onits crank end deadcenter, the open space left between the rod end and the face of the crosshead boss 45 is sufiiciently long to permit removal. of the crank end brcch.

In a similar manner the head end valve may be removed, and in case no tail rod is used. the opening left by the breech removal per mits entering the cylinder for inspection oi the interior of the bore. In like manner. the valve housing 58 and the cylinder head may be removed. For the cleaning oh" the cylinder head jacket chamber and for cleaning any deposit in the interior of the gyra'te head wall. the valve housing and the valve eech may together he slipped out on the piston rod by loosening the unis on the cylinder head studs It will be seen therefore that all of these parts may he removed from the cylinder through the open housing of either frame parts 2 t and without disturbing the alinement of the cngine.

As is best shown in Fig. 5, the supply conduit let? passes through a lateral opening in the housing 'all of the frame If-l and discharges into the opening 1447 of the valve housing 58. This conduit is screwed into the valve housing so that it may readily be detached therefrom when dismantling the valve housing and cylinder head parts.

I claim i 1. In an internal combustion engine. the combination of a power cylinder having an attached cylinder head comprising a gyratc head wall encircling the limgitudinal cylinder axis. an inletalve commanding the central opening into the outer end thcreot. a jacket wall inclosing the first named wall to form av gyrate cooling chamber. an annular slot completely separating the outer end portion of the head wall from its jacket. aplate lying across and covering said slot. with long stud bolts fastened into the cylinder and engaging said plate for the purpose specified' 2. In an internal combustion engine. the combination of a power cylinder having an attached cylinder head comprising a head wall and a jacket wall inclosing the first named wall to form a cooling chamlier. a slot completely separating the outer 0116111101" tions of the head wall from its jacket t per 9 holding said head in place and means stretching said bolts by the expansive movements of the head walli 4. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a power cylinder having a piston and a piston rod; a combustion chamber with a motive fluid inlet port. opening directly thereinto; an annular inlet valve commanding the inlet port, said valve hav ing a tubular stem, a valve sleeve mounted within and encircled, by said valve stem and a packing located between the valve stem and the sleeve.

5. In-an internal combustion engine, the combination of a Jpower cylinder having a piston and a piston rod; a combustion chamber with a motive fluid inlet port opening directly thereinto; an annular inlet valve commanding the inlet port, said valve having a tubular stem; a tubular rod sleeve through which the piston rod passes, said sleeve being mounted within and encircled. by the said valve stem.

t In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a power cylinder having a piston and a piston rod; a combustion chamber with a motive fluid inlet port opening directly thereinto; an annular inlet valve commanding the inlet port, said valve having a tubular stem; a tubular rod sleeve through which the piston rod passes, said sleeve being mounted within and encircled by the valve stem; and a packing located between the piston rod and the rod sleeve.

7. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a power cylinder having a piston and a piston rod; a combustion chamber with a motive fluid inlet port 0 ening directly thereint-o; an annular lnlet valve commanding the inlet port, said. valve having a tubular stem; a rod sleeve mounted within and encircled by said valve stem; a flange formedintegral with the valve stem; a set of push rods engaging with said flange; and means for operating the valve through the medium of said push rods.-

8. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a power cylinder having a piston and a, piston rod; a combustion chamber with a motive fluid inlet port opening directly thereinto; an annular inlet valve commanding the inlet port, said valve having a tubular stem; a tubular rod sleeve through which the piston rod passes, said sleeve being mounted withiniand encircled by the said stem; and a cooling chamber formed in, the rod sleeve.

9. In a power cylinder for an internal combustion engine, the combination of a gyrate cylinder head having a central motive fluid inlet port; a, tubular valve housing fastened to the head; a seat bushing located within the housing and detachably fitted. into said head opening; an annular inlet valve commanding the inlet port and seating on said bushing, said valve having a tubular stem slidably mounted within said bushing; and means for. holding the bushing in place against thecylinder head.

10. In an internal combustion'engine, the combination of a power cylinder having a piston, a piston rod, and a cylinder head with an inlet port; a tubular valve housing fastened to the head; a seat bushing located within the housing and fitted into said head opening; a tubular rod sleeve through which the piston rod passes, said rod sleeve being mounted within and encircled by said seat bushing; means for fastening the rod sleeve to the valve housing and holding the seat bushing in place, an inlet valve commanding the inlet port and seating on said bushing, said valve being slidably mounted be tween the rod sleeve and the concentric seat bushing parts.

11. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a power cylinder having an attached cylinder head with an inlet port; a separate, flanged, valve housing; long stud bolts fastened into the cylinder and engaging with a flange on the valve housing to hold both the head and the housing in place; a seat bushing located within the housing and fitted into said inlet port, said bushing being fastened to the valve housing; and means for stretching said head bolts by the expansive movements of the seat bushing.

12. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of. a power cylinder having a piston,a piston rod and a cylinder head with an inlet port; a tubular valve housing fastened tothe head; a seat bushing located in the housing and fitted into the inlet port; a tubular rod sleeve through which the piston rod passes, said sleeve being mounted within and encircled by said seat bushing; an

annular.inlet valve commanding the inlet port and seating'on said bushing; and means for bodily removing the breech parts from the valve housing, said parts comprising the seat bushing together with the valve and the rod sleeve.

13. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a power cylinder having a piston, a piston rod and a cylinder head with an inlet port; a tubular valve housing fastened to the head, said housing having a lateral opening thereinto; aseat bushing,

having ports therein, located Within the housing'and fitted into said head opening; an annular inlet valve surrounding the piston rod and commanding the inlet port; and a motive fluid communication leading from said lateral housing opening through said bushing ports and discharging tothe inlet port.

14. In aniinternal combustion engine, the,-

combination of a power cylinder having an attached head comprising a head wall. and a jacket Wall inclosing the first named Wall to form a cooling chamber; long stud bolts fastened into the cylinder and holding the cylinder head in place; me ans for stretching said bolts by the expansive movements of the head Wall; a tubular casing opening into the cylinder head, and yieldingly' mounted between the head and jacket Walls to permit the unobstructed expansive movements of the head Wall With'respect to the jacket Wall; and a detachable plug closing the opening through the casing.

15. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a power cylinder having a jacket part With an externally disposed flange rigidly tied to the frame housing of the engine, and an internally disposed flange set back from the first named flange to form a recess Within the extended portion of the cylinder jacket Wall; a cylinder head comprising a gyrate head Wall and a surrounding jacket Wall, said head being set into the said recess and detachably fastened to said internal cylinder flange; a tubular casing opening into the cylinder head and mounted between the cylinder head Wall and the head jacket Wall; a detachable plug closing the opening through the casing and means for 5 removing the P g Itrom said casing through the extended portion of the cylinder head 3 jacket Wall.

16. In. an internal combustion engine, the combination of a power cylinder having a jacket part with an externally disposed flange rigidly tied to a cylindrical housing 35 on the engine frame. and an internally posed flange set back from the first named flange to form a recess Within the extended v portion of the cylinder jacket Wall; a cylinder head having an inlet port, said head be- 40 In testimony whereof I have signed my 50 name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. I

LOUIS ILLMER, J R.

Witnesses: 1

Josnrrr T. HARmsoN, GLENDENNINiT- B. lGROESBECK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five centseach, by addressing the If Commissioner of Yatents, Washington, D. (3.

ing and detachably fitted into said head 4'5 7 

